This was the first time that we cruised as a family(2 adults and 3 boys aged 12, 10 and 8).Previously we cruised as a couple,twice on Celebrity and once on Oceania. We chose NCL mainly because of price, as well as perfectly fitting into our time in the USA ending off a busy 10 days in Orlando. I was initially quite apprehensive seeing previous reviews, but was pleasantly surprised!

Embarkation: We drove from Orlando the morning and ended up being a bit late(those Orlando Outlet Stores turned out to steal an extra hour of our day!) for our alloted embarkation time. I rented a car from Thrifty, and was told that I could return at the port! Arriving at the port, we found no Thrifty office. I was told to return it at the Miami Airport. I dropped the family to start the embarkation process, and rushed to the airport, only to find out that the promised shuttle back stopped at 15:00! I had to hire a taxi back! I would NEVER ever use Thrifty again! Managed to get on board just as the safety briefing started. The ship was huge. It took us a the rest of the day to explore and get the kids orientated. They figured it out quickly, and as long as you look at the carpets to see which way the fishes were swimming, they could easily find their way back! We were able to go to our staterooms immediately, but our baggage did not arrive till after 17:00.

Cabins: Our cabins was small, but adequate! Price was important to us, and having to pay for two staterooms for a family of five, we got the cheapest possible. Spending time in a stateroom is not important for us at all. The bedding was comfortable and we could get a good nights rest! Used the bridge camera channel muted through the night to help us determine if sun is up yet! The bathroom was actually surprisingly spacious. Our cabin steward, Gede, introduced himself as soon as we arrived. He was extremely friendly and helpful, and was very efficient during our whole week onboard. 5/5 for Gede! Read more